Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their usual food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
